Govt will go by HC order on Indore demolition drive: Minister

The Madhya Pradesh government will comply with the high court directive on the Indore civic body’s demolition drive for a road-widening project, minister of state for urban administration Lal Singh Arya said in the assembly on Wednesday.

Congress MLA Jitu Patwari said 100-year-old houses are being pulled down in the name of the Indore development plan. (Arun Mondhe/ht)

The Madhya Pradesh government will comply with the high court directive on the Indore civic body’s demolition drive for a road-widening project, minister of state for urban administration Lal Singh Arya said in the assembly on Wednesday.

The minister also refused to commit to give any compensation to those whose houses are being demolished.

Congress legislator Jitu Patwari said 100-year-old houses between Mhow naka and Tori corner are being demolished in the name of the Indore development plan 2021. There is no provision for compensation and people who are going to lose their houses have nowhere to go, he said.

Arya said a 24-metre-wide road is proposed between Mhow naka and Tori corner. The breadth of the road as per the plan of 1975 was also 24 metres. During road-widening work it was found some houses had encroached on government land.

The residents protested the demolition drive and moved the high court, which directed the government to follow procedure.

Those who are losing entire houses are being given space at Bhuri tekri in Indore and those who are losing house partially will get double floor area ratio (FAR) permission to construct.

When Patwari said most of those losing houses are old business families and cannot be expected to live in poor structures, the minister said they would be allowed to construct on upper floors.

BJP legislators Rajendra Verma and Manoj Patel asked the state government to help those who are getting displaced.

The minister said there was no provision to pay compensation on government land that is encroached upon but said the state will comply with what the high court says in the matter.